Kdrama in 2012

It’s time to summarize the year that already drowned under the waves of dark waters of the past. Year 2012 in dramaland. I will focus only on those that I finished, but I will mention those I watched few episodes and dropped because of this-or-that reason.

One more thing, dramas are listed chronologically, more or less, so just to avoid (see how clever I can be?) being biased and putting some drama as the first one.

First, I also include those who started airing in 2011 yet continued to 2012. I always have the same problem with late year series. I also watched few raw dramas that no one picked up to be subbed, yet I don't write them here, except for one.

I'm seeing wooden people...

   They don't know they're wooden...

I understand some people may not like me, I wouldn't like me too if I was a 15-yo who can barely read more than one page. The thing is, when I like/love/admire, I do this with every cell in my body. But when I hate, it's exactly the same. I don't usually write much, or very little, on those whom I admire to the end and beyond (I like a lot of people, but admire a handful), but I vent my hatred on those I dislike. Why? Because it amazes me how on Blue Mother Earth such talentless creatures can get popularity. Oh well, popularity we're talking about.

Friends and Foes

   George Michael sang in Star People 97: "It's a dream with a nightmare stuck in the middle" and this one sentence perfectly describes the latest mess in Gaksital. I want to say it loud and clear - I don't like the love line there. I just don't. And it's not because I don't like love story in a drama/movie/book in general. I do like it. But a proper one, when I actually can see it. If I don't feel those knots you (or maybe just me) feel while looking at some love on screen, it means I don't care about characters, and I usually have no interest in drama either.
I don't feel "love" there between Kangto and Oh "Pansy" Mokdan. This is why it's this "nightmare" in the middle of an overall great series.
With few ladies we devised even a plot for her - self-sacrifice for her "wuuv", for her country and people. Just, please, disappear. In Capital Scandal we also had a main love interest of our own Seon Woowan (Kang Jihwan), but the girl was brave and had guts! Mokdan is just lukewarm, overcooked noodles.
Enough of this, back to politics...

Some sad song

   I have the habit of creating my own OST while watching movies, series etc (and who doesn't?). And ever since episode 8 of Gaksital, one song has been obsessively stuck in my head when watching this series.

Shunji = Kangto

-To him while yet an infant Pallas gave- (…)

-Two drops of blood that from the Gorgon fell.

-And on the human frame what power have these?

-The one works death, the other heals disease.

(Ion by Euripides)

The last time any drama made me think of and dissect so much every second scene was The Princess’ Man. Both series are set in tumultuous and bloody times in Korean history, the former when Prince Suyang deposed his nephew and had hundreds of people slaughtered and the latter during Japanese occupation. Both series are tense and heavy. And both deal with treason.

Gaksital annoys k-netizens

You know I don't hold 95% of netizens in high esteem anyway, but what lately was provided by Hancinema article is just plain idiocy at its finest.

First, the article and my ramblings later.

The appearance of Kimigayo and the Japanese rising sun on the KBS 2TV drama "Bridal Mask" is in the heat right now. There was a scene where Chae Hong-joo (Han Chae-ah) sang a Kimigayo in front of the rising sun in celebration of the Japan-Korea Annexation on the episode on the 11th.

Mok-dam Sa-ri (Jeon Noh-min) planned to start a bomb while Chae Hong-joo was singing but failed when Kimura Shunji (Park Ki-woong) got a hold of it. The appearance of the Bridal Mask ruined the Annexation. Netizens say, "This is appalling, in public too", "Was it necessary?", "There would've been other ways to do this but this is provoking" and most are very criticizing about this.

Some say, "There probably wasn't another choice if they wanted to go with the flow" and more.

And now, let me feed on this amount of nonsense.

Gaksital location

Picture from here

   If anyone is interested in visiting the site where almost all pre-modern movies and dramas are filmed: Hapcheon, Yeongsang Theme Park (합천영상테마파크). It's the same where Capital Scandal was filmed and since the buildings were somehow familiar to my eyes, I went to look for the place. 

I know it's probably some unhealthy obsession to check filming sites of every period movie/drama and events, characters, but maybe I was born with it, maybe it's Maybelline?

Teuroteu

   That is trot, my lovely ladies and gentlemen. I know it's not everyone's cup of green tea, but I like trot, it relaxes me and brings back those weird memories of something distant, of something that is long gone. Yes, there is a longing in trot, there is love and solitude. Trot was born during Japanese occupation in Korea, but it's more complex than enka (or min'yo) that influenced it. Because trot uses also elements of european music of the twenties (the name trot derives from foxtrot, hello), and it's musical tempo is for 2 beat, also it uses pansori technique of singing. But to not be all unicorns and rainbows - trot was used politically as well - as the means of propaganda. Both North and South engaged since 60's in radio wars, and they used songs. This could happen again with Kpop - imagine now South uses in the radio MBLAQ's "It's War" song... now that would be some heavy statement...

If you don't like this type of music - this is not the post you are looking for, move along.

Gaksital

   I had my reasons I didn't want to start this drama. Park Giwung scares the living crap out of me and I knew they casted him for a reason. A good, scary reason. Nevertheless, since it's a period drama, I had to check even the first episode, and I sinked. Sinked so deep that I can say hello to Satan himself through his roof.

There is one distinctive trait that separates certain dramas from the rest, some are based on written text preceding the screenplay. This way, a drama usually avoids plotholes, sudden losing of substance or sudden changes that disrupt the flow. I wrote "usually", because sometimes this happens also to said series. And some original works can keep pace and idea clear.